Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Seared Steak Salad with Feta Dressing, Red Peppers and Asparagus

As you can see, I like my steak rare...



After trying for a little while to come up with a witty following statement, I have decided to just get on with the entry. I am much more inclined to express myself visually than with words. I suppose this could be a tricky, since the best food blogs have amusing anecdotes or revelations in addition to photography. I can only hope that my writing skills will improve with practice... or that my photos will inspire such a reaction that you don't even notice the words surrounding them. Witty enough for you yet?

There's no set in stone recipe here. Basically, you want to oil and season your meat while pre-heating a stainless steel skillet or saute pan on Medium High. I'm sure many of you know this, but the secret to a great sear is to lay down the meat and then leave it alone. I know how tempting it is to play pretend-chef and beat your food to within an inch of it's former life with your tongs and wooden spoon, but seriously... Don't. Once the sear has reached maximum deliciousness the steak should release from the pan. Basically, if you can't pick it up easily it isn't done.



While the meat is resting, assemble your salad however you like. I used romaine lettuce, raw red pepper and some leftover blanched asparagus. The following is the recipe for the dressing. I adapted it slightly from "All About Salad & Dressings", a Joy of Cooking cookbook.

Feta Dressing

Process the following in a blender or food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed:

4 oz. Feta Cheese, crumbled
1/4 c. Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp. Minced Fresh Oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste

With the machine running, slowly pour through the feed tube and process until smooth:

2 Tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil.

Taste and adjust the seasonings*. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate.

* After I had seared the steak, I deglazed the pan with some white wine and poured the reduced liquid in with the dressing along with the drippings from the rested meat. I can't stand wasting even a drop of flavor.

This salad was very filling, and the dressing went well with the steak and red peppers. The dressing is very tangy, so be mindful of that when you choose alternative toppings.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looks perty and it tasted freaking phenomenal!

Anonymous said...

...i've GOT to stop reading these in the morning...it's making me hungry!!

Lane said...

I did not know that about searing! I've learned something today. Thanks =)

Suzanne said...

you're welcome lane!

marieC said...

Wow, just found you from lj cooking. My boyfriend would love this, what's the best way to "oil & season" the steak? I haven't cooked steak much but it would be in my best interest to learn, for certain.

Suzanne said...

Marie, I just rubbed it all over with olive oil and then sprinkled both sides with salt and pepper. Also, if you dry the meat off with a paper towel before oiling and seasoning, it will make the sear even crispier.

marieC said...

Ah, thanks!